Superior Craftsmanship with Top-Quality Components

The ESP Standard Eclipse-II is a guitar built to deliver the sounds of today's metal music. With this guitar, ESP has taken a classic shape into the modern age with features to increase playability and output.

Made for Metal: Fast Neck and EMG Pickups

For modern metal guitarists, versatility is more important than ever. The Eclipse II is equipped to accompany any type of guitarist into battle. Supercharge your drop-tune chugging rhythms through the guitar's EMG-81 and EMG-80 pickups. Sweep-pickers and shredders will appreciate the neck's thin U-shape, which gives fretting hands the ability to cover much more of the fingerboard. Screaming bends on the 22nd fret are supported by the Eclipse II's deep cutaway.

The Active Advantage

The engine behind the Eclipse II's ferocity is its pickups: an EMG 81 (bridge) and EMG 60 (neck). Active pickups are highly regarded by metal guitarists for responding well to high-gain tones.The boost these active pickups provide ensure your solos will be heard loud and clear over the mix. This particular pair of EMGs are known for reducing buzz even on high-volume, high-gain settings. Playing with a clean tone highlights the pickups' natural and clear sound.

ESP Appointments

As one of ESP's top-shelf models, the Eclipse II boasts several unique features. Each finish is capped with binding around the body, neck, and headstock. Gotoh Magnum Lock tuners and a Gotoh Tune-O-Matic bridge and tailpiece help to ensure the Eclipse II stays in tune regardless of how hard you thrash or how low you tune.

ESP Standard Eclipse-II Electric Guitar

Ready to ignite your sound with the power of an Eclipse-II? Check out the ESP Standard Eclipse-II and experience everything that's made this design a favorite of guitarists like James Hetfield of Metallica and Will Adler of Lamb of God. A mahogany body and 3-piece mahogany neck with sturdy set-neck construction provide deep, rich tones with outstanding sustain through the guitar. A pair of active EMG humbuckers (an EMG 81 at the bridge and an EMG 60 at the neck) propel this axe with enough electrifying tone to melt even the most rigid of faces. Other features include sturdy hardware with Gotoh Magnum locking tuners, 22 XJ or extra jumbo frets, and a comfortable 24.75-inch scale length. If you're ready to storm the stage in an onslaught of scorching hard-rock fury, the ESP Standard Eclipse-II is an absolutely stellar choice.

Sound:
When I first brought it home, I noticed the sound was a little weak. Well, since the pickups run on batteries I had to change them. When I opened the backplate I realized why -- the battery was still the original one from Japan! Well, I changed it and the sound is everything I hoped it would be. Finding the right tone was easy, it responds the bass tones pop more, it works well with my wah, whammy and phase shifter pedals and sounds amazing when played clean. The first thing I did when I picked it up in the store was play it without even plugging it into an amp. You can tell you have a quality instrument if it rings out acoustically. And through the noise of people chatting and players trying out other instruments, the thing could still be heard clearly! I was...amazed.
Feature:
It doesn't have a whammy bar, but I never use one any way. The tuners are locking but because it's an ESP I don't expect it to go out of tune... It comes with two volumn knobs and a tone knob, which allows me to customize my sound and find the best tone for what I'm trying to say with the song I'm playing. It has a three piece neck, ebony fretboard and the body is mahogany with a maple top, perfect for sustaining notes. The mother-of-pearl inlays are also quite stylish. The neck is in a thin-U shape which is good for smaller hands like mine. The body is a singlecut shape like a Les Paul, but instead of being a thick slab of wood, it contours to your body which makes it more comfortable to play.
Ease of Use:
As mentioned, it has a thin neck which is good for smaller hands. I find myself able to move about the fretboard with ease. The three knobs were kind of a pain to get used to, but once I did I was rocking! Because I have an ear for music and emotion it was easy to find the perfect tone for expressing my thoughts -- no matter what they are.
Quality:
It's an ESP, meticulously crafted from choice woods by the hands of little old Japanese men and then sent here! How could it not be the best, most precise guitar on the planet? The bridge was a little off and the action too high from the fretboard but that's understandable and I took care of that. There was nothing wrong with the paint job, everything was pristine and beautifully made. I know I can depend on it no matter what get's thrown at it. I had an LTD that stood up to the worst beatings and this this is a hundred times better made.
Value:
I think the price is perfect. ESP set out to make a damned good guitar with the specifics relating to Zakk Wylde's Grail Les Paul, but they wanted to make it better. That's just what ESP does. They make things better. If Les Pauls are $2,000+ and this thing is LESS, but better quality and more comfortable, then hell yes is it worth it!
Manufacturer Support:
I have not dealt with the company, but I don't think I'll need to. It comes with a lifetime warranty and I have insurance that does not effect that. I'm set for life.
The Wow Factor:
This guitar, in vintage black, is damn fine! It looks like solid satin, and that's the only way to describe it. I first saw it advertised in the June 2005 issue of Guitar World magazine, and I saw that it won the "Platinum Award." The more I read, the more I fell in love. I knew I had to have it, for tone, for looks for everything. You're crazy if you think this thing is ugly. Every detail exudes desire.
Overall:
Basically, in light of everything I wrote, I was looking for the perfect guitar for me. Something that fits my ideas, my physical needs and my love of vintage looking guitars. It is designed after the Les Paul but goes above and beyond the standard settings. When playing anything -- rock, metal, classical, folk, blues, or anything in between -- this thing delivers. And you know that if you pick this thing up, you have the classy look to play any of the styles of music I just listed, but also have the metal crunch you need to make noise like Death scraping his scythe around an ICU ward.
Some people may complain that active pickups catch certain noises and squeals, but I think those things add to nuances to player's styles. Happy mistakes that add to the music are what guitarists like Kirk Hammet, Randy Rhoads and others have done to make certain songs perfect.
The bottom line is this guitar looks and feels great, and will help you perfectly capture everything that you want say with sounds. If you just want to take your playing to a new high, or want to experiment with sounds, then this guitar will help you every step of the way.

Thank you. Your vote has been counted. Could you briefly tell us why the review was or was not helpful?

zZounds has verified that this customer bought this product from us.
"WOW!!!!!!!!!!!!"

Overall:
This is an amazing guitar if you are a rock or blues player. Such amazing sustain with vicious gain. Go to the neck pickup and feel that nice warm blues tones ringing. Definitely one of my top 3 of my 18 guitars that I own.

Our extended 45-Day 100% Satisfaction Guarantee applies on
this productBuy it, and if it isn't just right for you, return it!

What Our Customers Are Saying About zZounds "zZounds has made my life wonderful by letting me own what I want at an affordable price. I honestly wouldn't have these pieces of beautiful equipment if it wasn't for the payment plans they provide, so thank you, zZounds." - Customer on May 17, 2015

A temporary customer reference number is assigned to each customer only while they are shopping on zZounds.com. If you call our customer service department for assistance, this number makes it easier for us to answer any questions you have about products, services or purchases.

A temporary customer reference number is assigned to each customer only while they are shopping on zZounds.com. If you call our customer service department for assistance, this number makes it easier for us to answer any questions you have about products, services or purchases.

1. zZounds offers the industry‘s most musician-friendly payment plans

zZounds offers a variety of Play as You Pay installment plans that allow you to get the gear you want today. While our competitors might offer house credit cards that require you to fill out an application and pass a credit check, our payment plans are easy to get, simple to use, and, best of all, accrue zero interest. Unlike those house credit cards that can leave you vulnerable to exorbitant interest charges once the promotional period ends, we never have and never will charge interest when you take advantage of one of the zZounds Play as You Pay plans.

2. zZounds guarantees the lowest price

Seen it for less somewhere else? Get it for less at zZounds. Simply click the “Seen it for less?” link on any product page and as long as we‘re not losing money, we‘ll beat any legitimate competitor‘s lowest price, usually within two hours. Want our best price even faster? Call us at 800-zZounds (800-996-8637), and we‘ll provide you with a lower price on the phone. Also, if you purchase from us and later find the product for less elsewhere, call or email us within 45 days, and we‘ll refund you the difference.

3. zZounds gets you your gear fast

At zZounds, you‘ll get your gear fast and, usually, with free delivery. Because we have warehouses in New Jersey, Nevada and Mississippi, nearly 95 percent of Americans reside within our two-day shipping zones. Combine this with the fact that many of our best-selling products qualify for free two-day delivery and you get expedited shipping without the additional cost.

4. zZounds makes returns super easy

Buy it, try it, like it, or return it to us for a full refund. It‘s just that simple. If you‘re not in love with what you bought, return it to zZounds within 45 days, and we‘ll promptly arrange for an exchange or a refund. No hassles. No hidden charges. And if a product‘s defective or damaged, call us at 800-zZounds (800-996-8637), and we‘ll email you a prepaid shipping label so you can easily return it to us at zero cost to you.

5. zZounds delivers top-rated customer service

zZounds has received multiple Bizrate® Circle of Excellence Platinum awards, placing us in the top 0.7 percent of Bizrate‘s network of 5,200 retailers. Our success in meeting the needs of our customers -- since 1996, we‘ve satisfied over 1,000,000 people -- is due in large part to the fact that zZounds only hires experienced musicians to answer your calls and emails, and they are never paid a commission.